In the packaging industry, using adhesive tape to seal a case in order to protect the product inside the case is widely known. A common problem that follows the use of adhesive tape to seal cases is that it is very difficult to peel the tape off of the case when opening of the case is desired. Insertion of a cutter into the flap gap between the two major flaps to cut the tape is a common way to solve the problem, but sometimes this will undesirably cut or otherwise damage the products inside the case.
Known case tape applicators normally do not possess “easy peel off” functionality to make adhesive more easier to peel off. Several attempts can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,334,620; 7, 357, 285; 7,537,036 and US Patent Appln. No. 2006/013,1356. All of these tape applicators are manual tape applicators and not used in a case sealing machine. The idea behind these tape applicators is that they try to form one non-adhesive long side or edge of an adhesive tape so that it can be peeled off from the long side of the tape. In another attempt found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,375, a tape applicator is designed to be used in a case sealing machine, and can fold up both long sides of an adhesive tape to form two non-adhesive sides for easy peel off.
A common problem with the above mentioned attempts is that at least one whole long side of the tape is non-adhesive (and U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,375 two whole sides). When the sealed cases are stacked, if a worker puts a case on the top of another case and pushes the upper case along the top surface of the lower case, then the non-adhesive tape side of the lower case will be push against the bottom of the upper case, in which case the non-adhesive side of the lower case may be flipped over and stick on the bottom of the upper case. As a result, the non-adhesive tape side edge on the lower case will be peeled off by the push force.
Another problem is that, because the long side edge of the tape is formed as non-adhesive, the surface adhesive area of a tape for sealing the case is reduced. In other words, the case will be easier to open by applying slight force against the flap gap, making it easier for someone to steal the products inside the case. This problem is more prevalent in the U.S. Pat. No. 8,393,375 because it forms both long sides of the tape as non-adhesive and therefore the adhesive surface area for sealing the case is greatly reduced.
It would be desirable to provide a tape applicator that applies tape to cases in a manner that enables easy peel off but that reduces or eliminates potential issues such as tape pealing during case stacking and/or substantial reduction of the adhesive contact surface on the case.